Tension member for silos and other circular structures.



H. N. KING.

TENSION MEMBER FOR SILOS AND OTHER CIRCULAR STRUGTUBES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1911.

1,095,643, A Patented May 5, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE HENRY N. KING, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOE 0F ONE-HALF T0 FRANKLIN D. TEACHOUT, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

TENSION MEMBER FOR SILOS AND OTHER, CIRCULAR STRUCTURES.

Application filed December 22, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY N. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Members -for Silos and other Circular Structures; and

I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to tension members for silos and other circular structures formed of building blocks, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claim.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for strengthening circumferentially the wall of a silo or similar structure, so as to assist lateral strain and prevent the rupture of the wall by internal pressure.

The invention is especially adaptable for use in connection with structures made from building blocks or hollow tile, the strengthening member being so disposed as to lie between the tiers of blocks at the joints therebetween.

The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view of a silo constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top plan of a portion of the wall of a silo, showing the ends of a tension member connected to the ends of the crossbar extending transversely of the door opening. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section through a portion of a silo-wall, showing the character of the blocks from which the wall is built. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a number of tie-plates employed to bind together the blocks of a wall. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of said blocks. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in section, illustrating the method of tying thejamb-blockstogether across the door opening. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cross bar. Fig. 8 is a frag- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.

Serial No. 667,376.

mentary view in elevation of one end of a tension member.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the hollow blocks which are, for the purpose of constructing a circular wall, shown provided with curved outer and inner faces and straight sides. The sides of said block are provided with vertical channels 2 therein, and are made tapering, as shown, to enable the formation of a circular wall. To tie the blocks together at their ends, bonds or tie-plates 3 are employed,

which are provided in their upper and under faces with transverse channels 4 and 5 respectively. The ends of the tie-plates are rabbeted as shown at 6 to enable them to be matched together when placed end to end, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The channels 4 and 5 in the tie-plates are adapted to receive the ends of the side sections of the blocks, as said blocks are placed in the wall in successive tiers, the portions 7 and 8 of said tie-plates between said channels entering the apertures in the opposite ends of said blocks. The width of the channels in the tie-plates is sufficient to receive the combined thickness of the side walls of two blocks when placed side by side, whereby said blocks become tied together when laid up in a wall.

While the form of block herein shown is preferred, it is not necessary in the application of this invention that the particular block herein shown be employed.

The channels 2 in the sides of the blocks are made to register when the blocks are laid up in a wall, and form vertical apertures which may be filled with cement or other cementitious material, to seal the spaces between the faces of the blocks and prevent the passage of moisture therethrough.

The tie-plates are of such form and are so disposed that, upon the completion of the wall or structure, their presence is not discernible from exterior inspection, being wholly concealed between the tiers of blocks which they tie together.

To form a door opening through the wall from top to bottom, as is required in the construction of a silo, jamb-blocks 9 are employed, so disposed in the wall as to form the jamb of the door. These jamb-blocks have the inner faces thereof formed at such an angle with respect to their curved outer faces as to render the door opening through the wall of uniform width, and whose sides are parallel. To tie the jambblocks together across the door opening, so as to resist the lateral pressure which is exerted.

with reduced end portions 11, which he between the ends of the jamb-blocks at each course and extend into the opening in said blocks. The projecting ends of the tie-bars are secured in place by means of the keys 12, which pass through the apertures 13 in said projecting ends, and engage the inner faces of the jamb-blocks, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. This arrangement serves to tie the wall together across the door opening. To further strengthen the wall circumferentially against lateral strain, a tension mem her 1% is employed, formed preferably of a metal rod adapted to lie contiguous to the ends of the tie-plates, as shown in Fig. 4t, and having notches 15 and 16 in the upper and under edges thereof respectively, which register with the channels 4, and 5 in said tie-plates. The notches in the tension member 14 are adapted to embrace the end portions of the side walls of the hollow blocks, so as to enable the tension members to be disposed between the tiers of blocks, as the structure is erected. The tension members pass entirely around the wall of the silo or other structure at the joints between the tiers of blocks, and the ends 17 thereof are secured to the projecting ends 11 of the tiebars 10 by means of pins 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. By this arrangement continuous bands of metal are formed, which lie within, but embrace the wall of the silo, circumferentially forming in conjunction with the tie-bars, tension members which tirml y brace the wall against lateral strain, the tie-bars forming a continuity of said tension mememployed, as shown at the right of Fig. 7 having an eye 20 at the end thereof which embraces the pin 18 at the end of the tie-bar. lVhere a round tension member 19 is employed, it will lie in the oint between the tiers of blocks, and will be covered by the cemen'ti-tious material employed to hold the blocks together in the wall.

To provide means for closing the door opening, removable sections of plank 21 are employed, which fit at their ends in rabbets in the j-amb-blocks at the door opening, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A silo-wall comprising tiers of super-imposed building blocks, having a vertical door opening therein, tension members embracing said wall and lying in the joints between the tiers of blocks, said members having notches in their edges which receive the ends of said blocks, and tiebars crossing between the jamb-blocks of the door opening, said tiebar-s being connected at their ends to the terminals of said tension members.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY N. KING.

fitnesses J. Or'ro BAENZIGER, M. E. BROESAMLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents -each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

